Once the neighbors were informed, the sheriff returned to his vehicle, reached for the two-way, and called in to his deputy.
“Hey Spud, you there?”
Carl’s voice crackled back through the speaker. “Affirmative, chief.”
“Listen, we got us a problem. Ms. Murphy’s dead. Looks like she was killed by one of those goddamn sea monsters.”
“What?”
“See if you can call Lewis into the station so you can help me patrol and look for ‘em.”
“Um, okay. What if I can’t get hold of him?”
“Then I guess nobody will be at the station for a while. I need your eyes and ammo out here.”
“Ten-four.”
Sheriff Steele then headed for his cruiser. He would pick up Carl, but on the way he needed to stop at his own house to make sure his family was okay. He started the engine and sped home.
The image of Ms. Murphy’s mutilated body stirred panic in him. If those things had gotten inside his house and attacked his loved ones… he would be lost if anything happened to them. He pressed heavier on the accelerator.
When he arrived at his home, everything looked normal. The door and front windows were intact, and the usual lights were on inside. He relaxed a little. Parking the cruiser, he shut the engine off and hurried inside the house.
“Betty?” he called when he opened the front door.
“Hey, baby,” his wife replied from the kitchen. She popped her head out, brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. “Are you finally home for the night?”
Steele shook his head. “No, hon. Afraid not. Are the boys home?”
“Yeah, they’re both watching TV,” she said, walking toward him.
“Good.”
Betty detected urgency in her husband’s eyes. “Jimmy, what’s going on?”
“I’ll just come out and say it. There are monsters, sea animals, that have been killing people the last few days. We thought we trapped them in their cave today, but apparently they found a way out. I just found Ms. Murphy dead in her home.”
Betty’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no! Kimberly?”
“Killed by those things. They’re roaming around and breaking in through windows. I need you to lock up the house behind me, take the boys upstairs, and secure yourselves in our room. Make sure you have the gun ready up there. Just in case.”
“Jimmy… you’re scaring me.”
“You’ll be fine,” he reassured, although he still had his fears about losing them. “Just batten down and keep the gun in hand. I’ve gotta go get Spud and look for those things. I’ll call you to check in.”
The sheriff then went to the living room to instruct his boys to do exactly what their mother told them, that he would be back as soon as he could, and that he loved them. After a parting kiss to his wife, he left the house and started the police cruiser.
CHAPTER 29
Reverend Jenkins stood silently at the pulpit, staring out over the empty pews. He hoped for inspiration. Although the next service was three days away, the reverend was anxious to begin writing his sermon for Sunday. He just needed to decide what the weekly topic would be.
There were the usual themes, like peace, love, faith, and hope. Or he could shake it up a bit by speaking about spiritual growth, forgiveness, wisdom, or Satan. Ultimately he would like the topic to be relevant to events that had occurred over the week.
Imagining his congregation before him, it was easy to determine what would benefit them the most on Sunday. He could picture the face of Lena Dermont, and the worry over her missing daughter. He could picture the families of the people killed at the hospital. There would be loss and sorrow in their eyes, despair. They would need a strong message of hope and faith.
Reverend Jenkins had his direction. He would quote from Romans, Corinthians, Matthew, and John. Now inspired, the reverend left the pulpit. He started walking toward his office to sit and write.
Something struck one of the stained glass windows. The loud smack caused the reverend to jump and spontaneously put his hand on his chest. A tree branch, he mused. Couldn’t be anything else. He fixed his eyes on the colorful panel of Jesus and the angels.
Another blow against the glass, this time sending cracks across the stained glass.
An intruder? But why? Why would someone break into a church?
A third strike of the window finished the job, shattering it inward. Tiny fragments of colored glass reflected the light of the votive candles they flew past. The shimmering spray was pretty. But what came next was not.
The reverend’s eyes widened in horror as he watched something hideous entering the church through the demolished window. His mind could not comprehend what he was seeing – his muscles froze.
Serpent-like appendages pulled forth a monstrous creature. The huge, black eyes were maddening to look at. It had terrible teeth, like long needles, in its jutting snout. Its large, shiny body slipped quickly through the window frame. The creature was like nothing that existed in this world – perhaps it was a demon from the underworld. It even smelled like Hell.
Then another appeared, following the first one inside. The reverend’s panic grew, and his pounding heart beat even faster.
The beasts moved fluidly along the wall, their tentacles working with their strong hind legs to maintain their balance. They spotted Reverend Jenkins; one of them circled to block the main entrance while the other charged straight for him. The aggressive, almost angry, hissing sound that emanated from its gaping jaws made the reverend’s skin crawl.
Realizing it would be upon him in seconds, he broke his frozen stance and turned to run between the pews. His leg caught the corner of a bench, affecting his footing as he tried to run. The reverend fell to the floor.
The beast was right on top of him. Reverend Jenkins looked up to see the creature raise a tentacle and lash it down toward him. He cringed, instinctively rolling his body beneath a pew. The sound of something sharp penetrating wood followed. The reverend opened his eyes to see a white claw stuck in the wooden seat above his face.
Adrenaline surging through him, the reverend wriggled his body until he was in the next row of pews. Then he got to his feet and ran. The second creature was still blocking his path to the main entrance, so he hurried to his office on the side wall.
Reverend Jenkins made it to his office, slamming the door shut behind him. He locked it, wondering if the monsters could even turn doorknobs. Probably not, but they would just break the door down instead. He knew he only had a few moments before they would get to him. The reverend’s eyes darted around the room to look for an answer.
He noticed the attic ladder door, tucked tightly into the ceiling. Aha! he thought. That’s the answer. He quickly reached for the rope handle and yanked the attic ladder open. Then he scampered up the ladder as he heard violent pounding at the door. The reverend made it to the attic and hurriedly pulled the ladder shut with shaking hands.
As soon as he was hidden in the darkness he heard the door give in the room below. He could hear the beasts rampage through his office, heaving and breaking and smashing. But they would not find him there.
Reverend Jenkins closed his eyes and silently prayed that God would get him through this night.
CHAPTER 30
“Let’s go, Spud.”
“Affirmative,” Carl acknowledged, slipping into the passenger seat. He strapped on his seatbelt while the sheriff drove away from the station.
“I can’t believe they got out,” said Sheriff Steele, with tiny shakes of his head. “It’s those things that killed Ms. Murphy, Spud. Same types of wounds, and they left that rotten egg smell behind.”
The deputy was in shock – he was terrified by the idea of going up against the monsters he saw on the hospital video. “Jesus, boss. You sure you and me can handle ‘em?”
“Got that right. They can be killed, just like any other animal.” He patted the Smith & Wesson sidearm on his hip. “And we’ve got the firepower to do it.”<
br />
“I hope so.”
“Besides, we’re the law. We’ve gotta protect the town from these killers.”
Carl’s resolve stiffened. “Damn straight, Sheriff.”
“Now keep your eyes open. They could be anywhere.”
The deputy activated the spotlight mounted on the passenger side and began shining it around the houses they patrolled past. The light beam danced around the yards, illuminating mailboxes, trees, bushes, and porch furniture. For ten minutes they roamed but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Then Carl caught something in the spotlight. His heart jumped nervously as he thought he saw something dark and shiny dart behind the corner of a house. “Jesusjesus, I think I just saw one!”
Steele stopped the car. “Where?”
“Right over there, just went behind Joe Reynolds’s house,” whispered Carl.
“Okay, let’s go.” The sheriff parked the cruiser and opened the door. He stepped out, drawing his flashlight and gun. “C’mon, Spud.”
Carl’s fear of confronting these monsters still pumped through his body. He wanted no part of this. But he knew that was not an option. He had sworn to be a police officer, to serve and protect his town and community. It was time to man up.
The deputy got out of the vehicle and joined his boss. “Right with you, Sheriff.”
The two quietly hastened through the front yard and around to the side of the house. The sheriff paused in the dark corridor, holding Carl back with him. He shined his flashlight in every direction to make sure nothing was waiting to ambush them. Seeing the area was clear, he and the deputy continued their search.
When they reached the back yard, they noticed the glass patio door was broken through.
Steele led his partner onto the patio and to the rear doorway. Slowly, cautiously, they entered the house.
The kitchen light was on, and the sheriff could see more light coming from the front room ahead. “Sheriff’s Department!” he announced loudly. “Anybody home?”
There was no answer. He called out again, and again received no reply. This was eerily familiar, just like when he found Ms. Murphy dead in her home earlier. And the same sulfuric scent was in the air. He raised his pistol, ready for anything.
The officers proceeded to the front room. They saw broken end tables, glass and wood fragments scattered across the floor. Then they spotted the body lying face down on the carpet. The victim’s shirt was shredded, as was the tissue beneath. A great deal of blood had flowed out from the deep gashes to create a dark pool around the body.
“Shit…” Carl muttered. “That looks like Joe.”
“Poor bastard.” Steele looked closer, recognizing the profile of the bloody head as that of Joe Reynolds. Then the sheriff placed his fingers on the victim’s neck, feeling for a pulse. He shook his head. “He’s dead. Body’s still warm though. Whatever did this might still be in the house.”
They carefully searched the rest of the house. After checking every room, it was clear the killer was gone now. The men exited the house and paused in the front yard to look around.
“So what next?” asked Carl. “Do we call the ambulance?”
The sheriff thought hard. “Not just yet. I don’t want to bring people out here while those things are loose.”
“Makes sense.”
“We gotta find these things, Spud. Kill ‘em before they kill more people.”
CHAPTER 31
“Goodnight, now,” waved Sherrie with a grin. Her diners bid her the same and exited the restaurant. Sherrie looked up at the wall clock. It was almost nine.
Cinch popped his head out from the kitchen. “Dat de last of dem?” he asked.
“That’s it,” said Sherrie. “Time to close ‘er down.” She walked to the door, locked it, and flipped the sign from OPEN to CLOSED. Then she went to the counter to bring out the cleaning supplies.
Cinch starting washing the grill while Sherrie wiped down the dining room tables. He conversed with her while they cleaned both rooms. “I’m glad we got de place fixed up in time for customers today.”
“Me too,” Sherrie replied. “It broke my heart when I saw it all tore up last night. We did a lot of work today, but I’m glad we did. It feels like a restaurant again.” She craned her neck toward the kitchen. “I’m gonna have to give you another raise, Cinch. You’re my lifesaver.”
The old Creole smiled. “You are family, Sherry, you know dat. But of course I’ll take more money from you. My granny didn’t raise no fool.”
“This the same granny that told you about the – ” She paused to remember the name. “ – ‘sliggers’?”
“Yes, ma’am. Just like her mama told her.”
Sherrie stopped working and stood straight, hands on hips. “So your family has been telling each other about ‘bogeymen of the water’ for as far back as that?”
“Yes. Lots of de Creole know about de sliggers.”
“Well, I have to admit, I have no other explanation for what the kids say happened in here last night. But I still can’t believe that they really saw what they say they saw.” Sherrie shrugged. “I dunno.” She resumed her wiping.
When she had finished with the dining room, she brought her handful of cleaning supplies to the counter. That was when she heard the loud sound of something hitting the plastic sheeting covering the broken window. She whipped her head around toward the window.
Cinch heard it too, and appeared from around the corner. “What was dat?” he asked, concerned.
Sherrie shook her head. “Not sure.” She took a step into the dining area to get a closer look.
The plastic was struck again, this time the resounding impact ripping it loose from the duct tape around the window. Sherrie jumped. While the black plastic floated down to the floor, tentacles reached inside and pulled a massive body in through the missing window.
“De sligger! De sligger!” Cinch shrieked. He disappeared into the kitchen.
Sherrie’s mind could barely process the sight before her. The creatures Mason and her daughter told her about were real. And here. She stood frozen, her eyes fixated on the monstrous creature.
The thing locked its horrible black eyes with hers. It opened its wide snout and hissed loudly, viscous spittle spraying from its teeth. The beast reared up on its reptilian legs, pushed off with its thick tail, and rushed toward Sherrie.
With a scream of terror, Sherrie broke her paralysis. She turned and lunged for the kitchen, instinctively diving behind the counter. Great, she thought, instantly regretting her decision, now I’m cornered.
She saw Cinch appear from the kitchen, this time with his cleaver in hand. There was just a hint of fire in his eyes. The old Creole had returned for battle – he would not stand idly by while his beloved Sherrie was in danger.
“Get away!” he commanded to the monster that was almost upon him.
The creature stopped. Just for a second, though, to size up the new prey. Then it continued its charge.
Cinch hurled the cleaver. It hit home in the creature’s midsection, and the cook could hear his blade slipping into the moist flesh. The beast’s six tentacles flailed in a frenzy of pain. One of the appendages struck the counter next to Cinch.
Sherrie saw the milky claw dig into the edge of the counter. Then she noticed something below the claw, leaning against the inside of the counter.
The shotgun she had brought from home.
Quickly she reached for the weapon and pulled the pump back. Then she leapt to her feet to come to Cinch’s aid. Seeing the creature up close made her heart skip a beat, but that did not prevent her from doing what she had to. She aimed the shotgun, pressed the stock against her shoulder, and pulled the trigger.
The blast disintegrated the monster’s head. Pieces of dark green and pink sprayed across the dining room, covering the tables with juicy tissue. What remained of the beast fell backward onto the floor.
The smell of rotten eggs was stronger than ever now, and Sherrie fought the urge to
vomit. She grabbed the box of shotgun shells that she had also set behind the counter. Then, tentatively, she walked into the dining room to prepare for any more potential intruders. Cinch followed her.
They sat at the table with the least gore. Keeping the gun aimed at the open window frame, Sherrie waited diligently for another monster. After ten minutes, she began to think there would not be another attacker.
Relaxing a little, she set the shotgun and box of shells on the table. Then, after another five minutes of quiet processing, she felt the urge to find Eaver.
She turned to Cinch. “Let’s get out of here.”
The Creole shook his head, his eyes fearfully wide. “No, ma’am. I’m not going out dere. Best we stay in here where we can see ‘em comin’.”
Sherrie frowned, wanting to be with her daughter. But then Cinch’s logic appealed to her; outside they would be more vulnerable. At least in the restaurant they had light and the monsters were walled out. “Alright,” she surrendered, pulling the box of shells closer. “We’ll batten down here for a while.”
CHAPTER 32
“Need another beer?” Eaver called out from the kitchen.
Mason checked his, noting it was almost empty. “Sure.”
Eaver returned to the front living room with two bottles of beer and sat down next to him on the couch. “Okay. Now we’re ready.”
Mason aimed the remote at the DVD player and pressed play. They had watched Finding Nemo about twenty times together over the years, but it was still a sentimental favorite. And it would be the perfect escape from reality that they needed tonight. The two nestled into the couch as the animated movie played.
Half an hour later, Mason thought he heard a noise at his front door.
He looked at Eaver. “Did you hear that?”
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